Greece has set the completion of maritime zone agreements with Libya, Albania and Turkey as a permanent foreign policy goal, targeting progress before the current government term ends.
Following border delimitations with Italy and Egypt in 2020, agreements on mapping Exclusive Economic Zones remain unresolved with all three neighbouring countries. Greek officials view each country as a distinct case requiring a different approach.
Athens is using its agreement with Egypt as a model for future deals. The two countries signed the agreement in Cairo six years ago today, on August 6, 2020, when their foreign ministers met to establish partial zone delimitations. That agreement answered the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum by recognising that Greek islands including Crete, Rhodes and Karpathos have rights to maritime zones. While it did not legally cancel the Turkish-Libyan text, it restricted Turkish claims in the Eastern Mediterranean and demonstrated that nations can reach agreements through negotiations under international law.
Libya technical talks
Libya currently represents the file with the most activity. The Greek government and the Tripoli government have completed three rounds of technical talks regarding maritime boundaries. Athens intends to continue discussions with Tripoli while maintaining communication with eastern Libya and Benghazi, as the country remains politically and administratively divided.
Greek diplomats consider it important that eastern Libyan authorities have not ratified the Turkish-Libyan memorandum. Athens also views positively Libya's use of the median line when tendering maritime blocks, seeing it as evidence that serious negotiations are possible. Talks are building on technical work conducted during previous discussions in the 2000s.
The primary obstacle remains Libya's internal division, as any final agreement requires acceptance from both sides to hold real legal force. Consequently, Athens is monitoring unification efforts led by the United Nations and the United States.
Hague referral for Albania
Greece does not plan new bilateral negotiations with Albania over sea borders. Instead, both nations have agreed to submit the issue to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. To proceed, Athens and Tirana must draft and sign a joint referral document detailing the exact scope of the dispute.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that progress could occur by the end of 2026. Greek expectations remain more cautious because preliminary preparation is unfinished, though Athens aims to resume bilateral contacts in the autumn. Greek officials also believe Albania's European Union accession process will encourage resolution, as resolving neighbour disputes is a key requirement for candidate countries.
Disputes with Turkey
Turkey presents the most difficult challenge for Greek diplomacy. Greece states it is prepared to discuss only one issue: the delimitation of the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Ankara seeks to expand talks to include sovereignty issues, grey zones, and the demilitarisation of Greek islands, which Athens refuses to recognise as negotiable disputes.
Athens plans to keep communication channels open to prevent crises and avoid military tensions. However, Greece sees no prospect for official boundary talks while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists on a broader agenda. Greek officials are also concerned by legislative discussions in Turkey to formalise the expansionist Blue Homeland doctrine, which would further impede rapprochement.
